Sisters Shruti and Akshara Haasan love charcoal face masks!

Sisters Shruti and Akshara Haasan have great genes – that much is evident from their porcelain skin, large eyes and glossy hair. Of late, they’ve been seen with twinning beauty regimes as well, the latest being a charcoal face mask! Now this has several benefits, and you should get on the charcoal beauty bandwagon too.

Activated charcoal, which is really just ordinary charcoal heated to have nourishing properties, is beneficial in several ways, the first being that it sucks out impurities from your skin instantly – including the day’s grime, pollution and germs. This makes it an ideal cleansing mask.

Because of its powerful cleansing properties, using a charcoal mask or face products with activated charcoal as a key ingredient, is ideal to treat acne, blackheads and whiteheads in the most natural way possible, leading to absolutely clear skin without ugly blotches and scarring.

Activated charcoal is also ideal for oily skins, as it absorbs extra sebum. What’s more, it’s a good exfoliator, keeping dead cells at bay. In an unusual use, it also helps whiten teeth, as well as dark patches on the underarms!

You can make your own charcoal face mask, with pure, organic activated charcoal, a teaspoon drop of water or rose water, and two drops of tea tree oil. Mix them all together until it forms a smooth paste, and then apply with a small flat spatula all over the face evenly. Avoid the eye area. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then wash dry with warm water and wipe off with a disposable wet towel until your face is squeaky clean. Then use a gentle face wash and pat dry again.